$199 Price Point for Surface Isn’t Enough for Competition - Olmec Skip to main content

$199 Price Point for Surface Isn’t Enough for Competition

By August 16, 2012March 6th, 2023Technology News

Last week, Microsoft announced that their new tablet will be priced at a smidgen under $200. However, Acer and other PC makers are beginning to submit pleas to Microsoft asking them to raise the price to allow for a little breathing room. Acer says that it “doesn’t know how Microsoft could price that low and make a profit.”

In a statement on Thursday, Microsoft did indicate that it was looking for ways to widen the gap, but the company didn’t promise anything. Microsoft believes that if they raise the price significantly, Surface simply won’t be competitive and there would be “less interest” in the product and it would make a “smaller impact.”

“Microsoft is currently looking for solutions such as creating a price gap to minimize the negative impact on other vendors’ product lineups,” said a blog post from Microsoft last Thursday.”Suggested retail pricing will be announced closer to availability and is expected to be competitive with a comparable ARM tablet or Intel Ultrabook-class PC.” Comparable ARM tablet prices may be as high as $400.

Acer and other hardware companies attempted to get Microsoft to drop the idea of the Surface tablet completely. Those tactics failed, so the companies are now trying to reason with Microsoft and pressure the Windows company in other ways.

Jason Manteiga

Jason J. Manteiga, Vice President of Olmec Systems, has been part of the company for over the past 20 years. He believes that having a great work environment and supportive team, is the ultimate key to success. Since being in the IT realm for over 25 years, Jason, along with Olmec Systems, has been on the Inc. 5000 “List of America’s Fastest Growing Private Companies” and Channel Futures MSP 501 “Top Managed Service Providers in North America,” along with other awards and nominations. Jason earned his Bachelor Degree in Information Systems from the New Jersey Institute of Technology. He also holds certifications in Microsoft MCSE, VMWare VCP, and Cisco CCNA. In his spare time, Jason is a contributor for The Center for Social & Legal Research (Privacy Exchange) and a member of the Morris County Chamber of Commerce. His hobbies include cycling and kayaking. He currently lives in New Jersey with his wife, two daughters and son.